What started as a simple mother-daughter fashion show for the members of Les Demoiselles, a division of Denver Ballet Guild that welcomes girls in the 9th through 12th grades, grew into one of the most spectacular events the group has ever had: An elegant occasion at Saks Fifth Avenue where famed designer Nicole Miller personally introduced her latest collection of special occasion gowns and dresses. The models models were 18 of the 12th graders who belong to Les Demoiselles.

It was, indeed, the stuff fairy tales are made of.

The story begins in 2009, when Linda Bowen Scott suffered the unexpected death of her mother. “I was chairing the show, which is an annual event, but obviously could not attend. I felt so bad that I offered to do it again in 2010.”

Everything was seemingly on track for a green-themed show this year. Then the economy worsened and the store that had agreed to provide the fashions begged off. “I was thrown for a loop,” Scott admitted, “but then Saks came to my rescue.”

And how.

It was quickly determined that Nicole Miller would be in Denver at the same general time Les Demoiselles had blocked out for its show. And, since Miller was introducing a new collection of special occasion dresses, and since high school proms are held every spring, AND since many Les Demoiselles would be attending prom … well, let’s just say the stars aligned.

So instead of lunching on rubber chicken in a hotel banquet room or country club, the Les Demoiselles crowd headed to Saks in Cherry Creek to sip “mocktails” and sample hors d’oeuvres provided by the Ritz-Carlton Denver before sitting down for the show.

Miller and SFA fashion director Cynthia Petrus made sure each was fitted with the ideal dress, and several male members of the University of Denver ski and swim teams were recruited to escort each model. They included diver Seth McNew, swimmers Ian Francis, Mark McGuire and Andy Lee, and ski team national champion AJ Avrin.

Following the show, guests were treated to cupcakes and the opportunity to shop.

A couple of other things added to the uniqueness of the occasion.

Guests were asked to make the evening a “circle of giving” by supporting two Denver Ballet Guild initiatives via the donation of gently-worn prom dresses, dance shoes and/or Target gift cards. The prom dresses would be donated to ARC Thrift, a line of resale shops staffed by developmentally disabled young adults while the shoes and Target gift cards would be given to Kim Robards Dance foor use in its dance outreach program at Mount View Detention Center for girls.

Saks and Nicole Miller underwrote the show; additional support came from Newberry Bros., Pearls for Girls, Dance X-Treme Bodywear and the Ritz-Carlton.

“Many families struggle to keep their children in programs that promote the arts,” Linda Scott said. “Saks and Nicole Miller are to be commended; they underwrote an event that we would normally would have charged $35 for people to attend. But thanks to them and the other sponsors, our girls and the work of our organization could shine. I am so proud of them all.

“Nicole Miller, Kay Cline, Cynthia Petrus, Marc Smith and Patty Gowan of Saks Fifth Avenue deserve credit, not for who they are but for what good they do in our community.”
Or, as president Debra Duke declared: “Denver Ballet Guild has had many proud moments in its 30 year history and this one rates right up there with the best.”

Tasha Jones, a vice president with Forest City Stapleton, was among the 250 guests. She is involved with the Challenge Foundation, which provides scholarships so that girls from low-income, inner-city families can attend St. Mary’s Academy. One of the scholars, Shayna Tillman, accompanied her to the show.

Tiffany Frieson is one of eight Les Demoiselles who are Le Bal de Ballet debutantes for 2010. Her mom, Andrea Frieson, and grandmother, Jo Dutton, also were among the guests. Tiffany, who has applied to and been accepted by seven colleges, will be celebrating her 18th birthday the day of Le Bal (June 12). “She hasn’t decided which one to attend,” her mom said, “and what makes the choice even more difficult is she has scholarship offers to them all.”

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.